There’s so much more to learn from travelling than just exploring new places. Travelling offers endless learning opportunities from developing important life skills to even discovering more about yourself. Whether you’re away on a long trip or a short holiday with friends, there’s so much to gain from spending some time away and as cliche as it sounds, travelling really is one of the best forms of education that you can have. If you need convincing, here are 10 things that you only learn from travelling.
One of the most unique lessons that you learn from travelling is developing the ability to make friends with complete strangers. Striking up a conversation with say, the person on the bus next to you or going on a day trip without someone that you’ve just met isn’t really a thing in day to day life. However, travelling teaches you to do just that.
Travelling forces you to get out of your comfort zone like nothing else. Whether it’s having to work your way around a new city, doing an activity that scares you or having to get by in a country where no one speaks your language, travelling is all about embracing the unfamiliar. So, if you really want to challenge yourself then taking a trip is one of the best ways to do it.
Being comfortable with doing nothing is something that a lot of us struggle with. All too often we pack our days full of work, study and commitments with friends and family. The issue with doing this is that you get burnt out, and what’s more, it’s actually important to have that chill time to dream and reflect. While travelling can be crazy busy, it also offers plenty of opportunities to relax and be ok with that- another thing that you only really learn from travelling.
Regardless of whether you’re travelling by yourself, with friends or with family, travelling still teaches you to be independent and take control of situations. When you’re at home in the same routine, it’s all too easy to rely on others however when you’re travelling you are forced to stay on top of things, take mental notes of where you are and organise your days.
One of the most practical skills that travelling teaches you is learning how to budget. Travelling and not being on top of your finances is virtually impossible and travelling really helps to establish good habits such as keeping track of expenditure and sticking to a budget.
The more you travel, the more you really how little you really need. When we’re at home, we’re all guilty of accumulating so much stuff from clothes to junk that we just can’t bear to get rid of. Travelling and knowing that you can live simply with what’s in your backpack is so liberating and it’s a good lesson in recognising that life is really about the experiences that you have and not about the things that you’ve bought.
It’s virtually impossible to go travelling and not get lost, but the thing is, it’s usually when you venture off the beaten path that you really discover those hidden gems. Travelling is an adventure and it teaches you to see getting lost as something to value, not something to worry about.
The more that you travel and experience all of the amazing places out there, the more you’ll learn to value home too. Travel throws you into unfamiliar places and unfamiliar situations and sometimes you have to be away in order to appreciate what you’ve got at home.
It’s only through travelling and seeing new countries for yourself that you really develop an understanding of other cultures. Travelling and meeting people from all walks of life teaches you about so many different beliefs, traditions and lifestyles, all of which is important to know in order to be a well-rounded individual.
Anyone who loves travelling will know that you’re never done with it. It’s never a case of visiting one place and ticking it off a list. Travel lovers have an ever-growing bucket list and even after visiting a place, you’ll almost always likely to want to go back. This world is big, diverse and packed full of adventures and it’s only through getting out there and exploring it for yourself that you realise just how much there really is to see.
Polka dot is eternal. There was a brief moment when people would scrunch their noses at how "old-fashioned" and "out…
Summer is drawing to a close which means it's almost jumper weather time, and - if you're like me -…
Reading is a joy, especially when it comes to classic books. There is something about them that makes us read…
Relationships are already hard enough, let alone distance ones- Here are some tips for those of you who starting a long…
I've heard it. You've heard it, and your friends will have heard it. You'll have seen it online and on…
In October 2015, I decided to call it quits on the Economics undergrad degree I was pursuing, for a host…
